The Proclaimers - I'm On My Way

I hope that Scotland isn't on it way to financial meltdown

Rod Stewart - Rhythm of my heart [HQ]

Scottish independence: Five reasons Salmond is secretly hoping for a 'No' vote, The Independent

He has made realising the dream of an independent Scotland his life’s work. But as the nitty-gritty issues behind that dream have been debated endlessly over recent months deep down is the leader of the ‘yes’ campaign is having second thoughts? Here are five things that maybe keeping Alex Salmond up at night, and why he may be secretly praying his countrymen vote No tomorrow.

1)     He’s taking a huge gamble on oil. All of the Yes Campaign’s budgeting for the future depends on the ability to raise a certain amount of revenue from North Sea Oil. But that is horribly unpredictable. All of the published predictions – both optimistic and pessimist are just that: predictions. It’s a pretty scary thing to base the future of an independent country on.

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How Alex Salmond cheered on his pal Fred the Shred as he ruined Royal Bank of Scotland , Daily Mail

Alex Salmond blithely declares that an independent Scotland would be a land of milk and honey in which business magically flourishes, the economy will outgrow England’s and taxes will be slashed.

This crazily unrealistic and deeply irresponsible prospectus is very reminiscent of another Scot, whose arrogance and monumental incompetence cost British taxpayers £45 billion when they had to bail out the Royal Bank of Scotland, of which he had been boss.

Step forward Fred ‘The Shred’ Goodwin, who walked away from the wreckage of the once-proud institution with a £693,000-a-year, index-linked pension. It was his management of the Edinburgh-based bank that helped to trigger the worst recession since World War II — the financial crash in 2008.

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The man determined to shatter the UK: He is a gambler and former Maoist rabble-rouser who favoured direct action. Whatever else Salmond might lack, it is not self-belief . Daily Mail

Today Alex Salmond could preside over greatest upheaval in 300 years

It is climax of long journey for boy raised on Linlithgow council estate

He was key member of far-left faction of SNP and was kicked out of party

But slow rise has continued since 1987 when he was elected as an MP

Employees describe him as quick to anger, a bully - and a gifted orator

Few people noticed the attractive, middle-aged woman nervously watching the First Minister from the spin room on the night of his second debate with Alistair Darling.

Elegant and discreet, with a bright smile and an easy manner, Claire Howell has got closer to Alex Salmond in these last few months than most do in a lifetime.

She is his longstanding ‘happiness coach’, an enthusiastic ray of sunshine brought on board by the SNP to re-brand Team Salmond as friendly, approachable and electable.

In the run-up to the debate she had often been by his side, sitting in on high strategy Yes meetings and attending a Business for Scotland dinner at the Glasgow Marriott where Mr Salmond was the guest of honour.

But on that August night, under the hot lights of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Mr Salmond went off script.

Gone were the conciliatory gestures, the smiles and the softer language. Instead, Salmond the bruiser was back – his grin crumpling into a grimace, his hand a resolute fist, his manner loud and hectoring.

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how to make a paper airplane that flies far and straight step by step

Alex Salmond's Build's his own airforce

Triple blow for Salmond – on finance, the EU and the NHS, Daily Express

ALEX Salmond was last night accused of trying to hoodwink Scots as his campaign to break up Britain suffered a series of damaging blows.

Critics said the SNP leader’s case for separation had stalled with just hours left until votes are cast in tomorrow’s referendum.

It came after a damning report warned an independent Scotland would collapse within a year if it kept the pound and walked away from its share of  the UK’s national debt.

Respected think-tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said that reneging would freeze the country out of the EU and international markets, triggering “unprecedented austerity”. Meanwhile, the Spanish government directly contradicted Mr Salmond’s claims by warning a breakaway country would be forced to wait at least five years to join the EU and then sign up to the euro.

And in a further blow to the First Minister a leaked report revealed hospitals faced a funding black hole of up to £450million in a separate nation despite his claims only a Yes vote can save the NHS.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie MSP said: “Today the SNP’s three main arguments on the NHS, EU and sterlingisation fell from under them.

“With only hours until the crucial vote, Alex Salmond has been caught out trying to hoodwink the people of Scotland.”

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Independence referendum: Nationalism's aim was to divide us from England but it's split us from ourselves

IT seems like we now live in two Scotlands. No matter what the outcome in tomorrow’s sleepless dawn, we will be in a divided country.

Gordon Brown roars into life: On the eve of historic vote, ex-PM gives the speech of the campaign so why wasn't he in charge of the No campaign from the beginning? Daily Mail

  Former Prime Minister launches most passionate defence of the union yet

  Destroys Alex Salmond's attempt to 'own' Scotland as a country

  Brown bellows: 'What we created together, let no nationalist split asunder' 

  Extraordinary speech reignites talk that he should have led No campaign

  Poll shows 60% of Scots think Darling has done badly, but Brown 50%

Gordon Brown today delivered the speech of the referendum campaign, urging voters to have the 'confidence' to say No to independence.

The former Prime Minister tore into Alex Salmond, insisting Scotland does not belong to him or any other politician, declaring: 'Scotland belongs to all of us.'

Speaking without notes, he urged anyone with doubts about the risks of separation to vote No to save the Union, adding: 'What we created together, let no nationalist split asunder.'

The speech could become seen as one of the defining moments of the campaign, and reignite questions about whether Mr Brown should have fronted the No campaign from the start. 

Mr Brown addressed hundreds of UK supporters at a community centre in Glasgow, standing shoulder to shoulder with his former Chancellor Alistair Darling, leader of the Better Together campaign, and Scottish leaders from Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

In a direct challenge to Mr Salmond's claim that to vote Yes is the patriotic thing to do, Mr Brown said: 'Tell the Nationalists, it’s not their flag, their culture, their country or their streets.

'Tell them it’s everyone’s flag, everyone’s culture, everyone’s country and everyone’s streets.

'And tell them that our patriotic vision is bigger than nationalism; we want Scotland not leaving the UK, but leading the UK, and through leading the UK, leading in the world.' 

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Scottish independence: Yes vote ‘would be tragedy’ The Scotsman

LEADER OF the No campaign Alistair Darling has said that it would be a “tragedy” if Scotland votes for independence tomorrow.

The Better Together leader said the promise of further devolution from the main Westminster parties would offer a “better change” than the uncertainty of independence.

He said some people involved in the increasingly bitter referendum campaign had “stepped over the line” and an effort would be needed to “calm things down” after the results come in.

Mr Darling told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme a No vote would offer “faster, more secure, better change within the United Kingdom than the years of wrangling that would follow if we were to vote to leave the UK tomorrow”.

He acknowledged that, despite the show of unity by David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, there was a “difference between the parties” over the extent of the powers that would be devolved, but pointed out that had also been the case before the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and the most recent transfer of competences to Holyrood.

Mr Darling stressed that the stakes were high, and there would be no turning back from the results of tomorrow’s vote.

“This is to settle the matter for a generation because I don’t think there’s any appetite in Scotland for another referendum,” he said.

“It’s not like a general election where you can give the government a good kicking if you don’t like them.

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Snp's Bully Boy Tactics

The SNP are the Seriously Nasty Party http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2758514/The-Seriously-Nasty-Party-With-one-day-damning-evidence-bullying-intimidation-voters-Scots-nationalists-just-ask-Miliband.html @MailOnline

4 Ways to Test if God is Calling You

4 Ways to Test if God is Calling You

Have you ever wondered if God called you to something more?

John 1:6 "There was a man sent from God whose name was John."

This simple verse tells us a lot – it tells us that the man we know as John the Baptist somehow stood out. It was obvious to others that he was sent by God. In retrospect, knowing the full story, we can see how he paved the way for the coming Christ.

However, if John appeared on the scene today, I'm pretty sure we'd all think he was whackadoo. After all, he was a loner, speaking against the establishment, telling everyone to repent.

Sometimes the scariest thing about following God is a fear that we, too, might look like a whackadoo.

How do you know if God is calling you?

1. It makes sense in your life. Even before he was born, John was testifying to Jesus. Jesus' brothers and mother thought he'd gone 'round the bend at one point, but the scripture doesn't show us that about John. It made sense for John to speak out as he did. Even for those of us who are called to something radically different than we've done before, God uses the basic makeup of the person He created. You were born with innate strengths and talents. What God calls you to will be in line with who He created you to be.

Sterling could be plunged into the abyss, and Scotland would face unprecedented austerity if country votes 'Yes', warns top banker. Daily Mail

  Alex Salmond said Scotland will be entitled to use the pound if independent

  Westminster claims Scotland will have to seek an alternative currency 

  Salmond has threatened to walk away from Scot's share of the national debt

  Alex Salmond's Plan B would see every British taxpayer paying £5,900 extra 

Scotland risks unprecedented austerity and the pound could ‘plunge into the abyss’ if the referendum results in a Yes vote, economic experts have warned.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research expressed dismay at Alex Salmond’s ‘Plan B’ if an independent Scotland is barred from using the pound.

The think-tank said the SNP leader’s back-up plan – adopting the pound informally and reneging on Scotland’s share of Britain’s borrowings – was ‘opportunistic’ and would saddle every taxpayer in the rest of the UK with an extra £5,900 of debt.

It warned that defaulting on its debts would make Scotland an economic pariah, because it would be seen as too untrustworthy to borrow on the international money markets.

 This would lead to an ‘unprecedented degree of austerity and the eventual collapse in the currency regime’, it predicted.

Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said this scenario would see Scottish bonds – loans from international investors – downgraded to ‘junk’ status. This happens when it makes no sense for investors to lend money to a country because the risk of not getting it back is too high.

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Row breaks out over allegations that Salmond 'tried to gag' leading Scots academic who questioned independence . Daily Mail

  First Minister 'put pressure' on St Andrews principal Louise Richardson

  Source said he spent ten minutes trying to 'put words in her mouth'

  She then rejected the 'suggested statement', according to Daily Telegraph 

A spectacular row broke out last night over Alex Salmond’s alleged attempts to silence a leading Scottish academic who questioned independence.

The first minister tried to force Louise Richardson, Principal of St Andrews University, to tone down warnings about the adverse impact of a Yes vote.

A source said he spent ten minutes attempting to ‘put words in her mouth’

Leaked emails revealed how the SNP leader’s special adviser, Geoff Aberdein, urged Professor Richardson to attack the Westminster government over funding for higher education, the Daily Telegraph said.

He reportedly emailed her press secretary with a suggested statement, reading: ‘The Scottish Government has risen to the challenge on fees in stark contrast to the government south of the border and I’m sure they can rise to the challenge on research funding as well.’

But in a reply, Professor Richardson wrote: ‘I’m sorry but I’m afraid I cannot agree to this statement.’

It is also claimed the First Minister called Professor Richardson, the first female principal of the 600-year-old institution, and told her to rectify remarks she made about the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK.

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Allan Massie: The UK’s value is immense, The Scotsman

by ALLAN MASSIE

In any democracy, many people endure a government they didn’t vote for. There is still time to think, writes Allan Massie

I can understand why many will vote Yes. I can’t fathom the thinking of those who say: “Let’s give independence a try.” This is like saying, “Let’s try suicide”. If you bring it off, there’s no way back.

Independence is not an experiment we can abandon if we decide it isn’t working. It’s not like resigning from a club because you’ve fallen out with the committee and then re-applying for membership a few years later.

I’m lucky. I’ve never had any difficulty deciding how to vote tomorrow. I’m a Unionist, always have been. Of course, like almost every Scot, I’ve had my nationalist moments, sometimes sparked by momentary indignation when I’ve muttered “Bloody English”, other times patriotically proud or boastful when I think that no small nation except, one admits, the Jews and the Ancient Greeks, has given more of value to the world than the Scots.

Why not read more here?